The UK’s full participation in European Union security and intelligence co-operation will be critical to the fight against terrorism after Brexit, leading British security experts have said, as Theresa May announced wide-ranging new plans to counter extremism.

The growing demands for the PM to face down anti-EU forces in the Tory party and make membership of bodies such as Europol, a top priority, came amid fears that Brexit could leave the UK with inferior access to key European databases

The UK’s full participation in European Union security and intelligence co-operation will be critical to the fight against terrorism after Brexit, leading British security experts have said, as Theresa May announced wide-ranging new plans to counter extremism.

The growing demands for the PM to face down anti-EU forces in the Tory party and make membership of bodies such as Europol, a top priority, came amid fears that Brexit could leave the UK with inferior access to key European databases